1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a failure prediction system, a failure prediction method, and a recording medium recording failure prediction program thereon, and more particularly to a failure prediction system, a failure prediction method, and a recording medium recording failure prediction program thereon for predicting any more software failure that may subsequently arise.
2. Description of the Related Art
Along with the increasingly extensive use of personal computers, the importance of software intended for use in routine operations in business corporations and handling of miscellaneous affairs in households is growing, and many such software products been developed.
However, as software becomes more and more multifunctional, software failures tend to increase, posing an extremely grave problem.
If any software at work runs into trouble, the work done before the trouble may be wasted, the data stored may be destroyed, and restoration may take a long time.
In view of this problem, there have been used, among others, techniques to automatically save the file at regular intervals and others to trap the software failure and save the file involved.
However, these techniques according to the prior art are still beset with the problem of inability to reduce the frequency of failure occurrence.
An object of the invention is to provide a failure prediction system, a failure prediction method, and a recording medium recording failure prediction program thereon for predicting anymore software failure that may subsequently arise.
A first failure prediction system according to the invention comprises a plurality of client computers and a server computer for managing the plurality of client computers linked by a communication network, wherein: said server computer is provided with a means for preparing, on the basis of information on the particulars of any failure that may arise in any client computer and the environment of execution at the time of failure occurrence, failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and transmitting the prepared information to some or all of said plurality of client computers; and each of said plurality of client computers is provided with a means for receiving said failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and checking whether or not its own environment of execution involves the factors accountable for the failure.
A second failure prediction system according to the invention comprises a plurality of client computers and a server computer for managing the plurality of client computers linked by a communication network, wherein: said server computer comprises a client configuration information database in which are restored, classified by client computer, hardware configuration information and software configuration information on each of said plurality of client computers; a client failed executional environment database in which is stored, classified by the type of failure, information on the executional environment at the time of failure occurrence on each of said plurality of client computers; a client failure factor database to serve as the location of storage of the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure; a failure factor extracting means for extracting from said client failed executional environment database the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and storing them into said client failure factor database; a client identifying means for identifying, on the basis of the hardware configuration information and the software configuration information on each of said plurality of client computers stored in said client configuration information database, the client computer s that may repeat the failure factor extracted by said failure factor extracting means; and a failure prediction information transmitting means for transmitting, to each client computer identified by said client identifying means, failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure; and each of said plurality of client computers comprises a failure prediction information database to serve as the location of storage of failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure; a failure prediction information receiving means for receiving failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure from said server computer; a failure prediction information storing means for storing failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure that has been received into said failure prediction information database; a failure factor checking means for checking whether or not the executional environment of its own client computer currently in operation involves any of the failure factors stored in said failure prediction information database; and a failure prediction information notifying means for supplying an output unit with failure prediction information including the factors accountable for the failure and the particulars of the failure when said failure factor checking means has judged that the executional environment of its own client computer currently in operation involves any of the failure factors stored.
A third failure prediction system according to the invention comprises a plurality of client computers and a server computer for managing the plurality of client computers linked by a communication network, wherein: each of said plurality of client computers comprises a configuration information transmitting means for transmitting its own hardware configuration information and software configuration information to said server computer; and said server computer comprises a configuration information receiving means for receiving hardware configuration information and software configuration information from each of said plurality of client computers, a client configuration information database in which are stored, classified by client computer, hardware configuration information and software configuration information on each of said plurality of client computers, and a configuration information storing means for storing hardware configuration information and software configuration information that has been received into said client configuration information database.
A fourth failure prediction system according to the invention comprises a plurality of client computers and a server computer for managing the plurality of client computers linked by a communication network, wherein: each of said plurality of client computers comprises a failure detecting means for detecting any software failure having arisen in itself, and a failed executional environment information transmitting means for transmitting, when any software failure has arisen in itself, information on the particulars of the failure and on the executional environment at the time of the failure occurrence to said server computer; and said server computer comprises a failed executional environment information receiving means for receiving, from the client computer in which any software failure has arisen, information on the particulars of the failure and on the executional environment at the time of the failure occurrence, a client failed executional environment database in which is stored, classified by the type of failure, information on the executional environment at the time of failure occurrence on each of said plurality of client computers, and a failed executional environment information storing means for classifying, by the type of failure, said information on the particulars of the failure and on the executional environment at the time of the failure occurrence that has been received, and storing it into said client failed executional environment database.
A fifth failure prediction system according to the invention comprises a plurality of client computers and a server computer for managing the plurality of client computers linked by a communication network, wherein: said server computer comprises a client configuration information database in which are stored, classified by client computer, hardware configuration information and software configuration information on each of said plurality of client computers; a client failed executional environment database in which is stored, classified by the type of failure, information on the executional environment at the time of failure occurrence on each of said plurality of client computers; a client failure factor database to serve as the location of storage of the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure; a failure factor extracting means for extracting from said client failed executional environment database the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and storing them into said client failure factor database; a client identifying means for identifying, on the basis of the hardware configuration information and the software configuration information on each of said plurality of client computers stored in said client configuration information database, the client computer(s) that may repeat the failure factor extracted by said failure factor extracting means; and a failure prediction information transmitting means for transmitting, to each client computer identified by said client identifying means, failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, prioritized according to the relative gravity and frequency of failure; and each of said plurality of client computers comprises a failure prediction information database to serve as the location of storage of failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure; a failure prediction information receiving means for receiving the prioritized failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure from said server computer; a failure prediction information storing means for storing, in the order of priority, failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure into said failure prediction information database; a failure factor checking means for checking whether or not the executional environment of its own client computer currently in operation involves any of the failure factors stored in said failure prediction information database; and a failure prediction information notifying means for supplying an output unit with failure prediction information including the factors accountable for the failure and the particulars of the failure when said failure factor checking means has judged that the executional environment of its own client computer currently in operation involves any of the failure factors stored.
An sixth failure prediction system according to the invention comprises a plurality of client computers and a server computer for managing the plurality of client computers linked by a communication network, wherein: said server computer comprises a client failed executional environment database in which is stored, classified by the type of failure, information on the executional environment at the time of failure occurrence on each of said plurality of client computers; a client failure factor database to serve as the location of storage of the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure; a failure factor extracting means for extracting from said client failed executional environment database the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and storing them into said client failure factor database; a failure prediction information transmitting means for transmitting, to every client computer, all the failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, stored in said client failure factor database; and each of said plurality of client computers comprises a failure prediction information database to serve as the location of storage of failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure; a failure prediction information receiving means for receiving the failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure from said server computer; a failure prediction information storing means for judging whether or not each piece of said information on the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure occurrence that has been received relates to its own client computer and, if it does, storing it into said failure prediction information database or, if it does not, discarding them; a failure factor checking means for checking whether or not the executional environment of its own client computer currently in operation involves any of the failure factors stored in said failure prediction information database; and a failure prediction information notifying means for supplying an output unit with failure prediction information including the factors accountable for the failure and the particulars of the failure when said failure factor checking means has judged that the executional environment of its own client computer currently in operation involves any of the failure factors stored.
A first failure prediction method according to the invention comprises a step at which a server computer prepares, on the basis of information on the particulars of any failure that may arise in any client computer and the environment of execution at the time of failure occurrence, failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and transmits the prepared information to the client computer; and a step at which the client computer receives said failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and checks whether or not its own environment of execution involves the factors accountable for the failure.
A second failure prediction method according to the invention comprises a failure factor extracting step at which a server computer extracts from a client failed executional environment database in which is stored, classified by the type of failure, information on the executional environment at the time of failure occurrence on each of a plurality of client computers the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and stores them into a client failure factor database; a client identifying step at which said server computer identifies from a client configuration information database, in which hardware configuration information and software configuration information on each of said plurality of client computers are stored, classified by client computer, the client computer(s) that may repeat the failure factor extracted at said failure factor extracting step; a failure prediction information transmitting step at which said server computer transmits, to each client computer identified at said client identifying step, failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure; a failure prediction information receiving step at which each of said plurality of client computers receives said failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure from said server computer; a failure prediction information storing step at which each of said plurality of client computers stores said failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure received at said failure prediction information receiving step into said failure prediction information database; a failure factor checking step at which each of said plurality of client computers checks whether or not the executional environment in which it is currently operating involves any of the failure factors stored in said failure prediction information database; and a failure prediction information notifying step at which each of said plurality of client computers supplies an output unit with failure prediction information including the factors accountable for the failure and the particulars of the failure when it has been judged at said failure factor checking step that the executional environment of its own client computer currently in operation involves any of the failure factors stored.
A third failure prediction method according to the invention comprises a configuration information transmitting step at which each of a plurality of client computers transmits its own hardware configuration information and software configuration information to a server computer; a configuration information receiving step at which said server computer receives hardware configuration information and software configuration information from each of said plurality of client computers; and a configuration information storing step at which said server computer stores, classified by client computer, the hardware configuration information and software configuration information received at said configuration information receiving step into a client configuration information database.
A fourth failure prediction method according to the invention comprises a failure detecting step at which each of a plurality of client computers detects any software failure having arisen in itself; a failed executional environment information transmitting step at which each of said plurality of client computers transmits, when any software failure has been detected at said failure detecting step, information on the particulars of the failure and on the executional environment at the time of the failure occurrence to a server computer; a failed executional environment information receiving step at which said server computer receives, from the client computer in which any software failure has arisen, information on the particulars of the failure and on the executional environment at the time of the failure occurrence; and a failed executional environment information storing step at which said server computer classifies, by the type of failure, the information on the particulars of the failure and on the executional environment at the time of the failure occurrence received at said failed executional environment information receiving step, and stores it into said client failed executional environment database.
A fifth failure prediction method according to the invention comprises a failure factor extracting step at which a server computer extracts from a client failed executional environment database in which is stored, classified by the type of failure, information on the executional environment at the time of failure occurrence on each of a plurality of client computers the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and stores them into a client failure factor database; a client identifying step at which said server computer identifies from a client configuration information database, in which hardware configuration information and software configuration information on each of said plurality of client computers are stored, classified by client computer, the client computer(s) that may repeat the failure factor extracted at said failure factor extracting step; a failure prediction information transmitting step at which said server computer transmits, to each client computer identified at said client identifying step, failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, prioritized according to the relative gravity and frequency of failure; a failure prediction information receiving step at which each of said plurality of client computers receives the prioritized failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure from said server computer; a failure prediction information storing step at which each of said plurality of client computers stores, in the order of priority, said failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure received at said failure prediction information receiving step into said failure prediction information database; a failure factor checking step at which each of said plurality of client computers checks whether or not the executional environment in which it is currently operating involves any of the failure factors stored in said failure prediction information database; and a failure prediction information notifying step at which each of said plurality of client computers supplies an output unit with failure prediction information including the factors accountable for the failure and the particulars of the failure when it has been judged at said failure factor checking step that the executional environment of its own client computer currently in operation involves any of the failure factors stored.
A sixth prediction failure prediction method according to the invention comprises a failure factor extracting step at which a server computer extracts from a client failed executional environment database in which is stored, classified by the type of failure, information on the executional environment at the time of failure occurrence on each of a plurality of client computers the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and stores them into a client failure factor database; a failure prediction information transmitting step at which said server computer transmits, to every client computer, all the failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, stored in said client failure factor database; a failure prediction information receiving step at which each of said plurality of client computers receives failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure from said server computer; a failure prediction information storing step at which each of said plurality of client computer judges whether or not each piece of said information on the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure occurrence received at said failure prediction information receiving step relates to its own client computer and, if it does, stores it into said failure prediction information database or, if it does not, discards them; a failure factor checking step at which each of the plurality of client computers checks whether or not the executional environment in which it is currently operating involves any of the failure factors stored in said failure prediction information database; and a failure prediction information notifying step at which said client computer supplies an output unit with failure prediction information including the factors accountable for the failure and the particulars of the failure when it has been judged at said failure factor checking step that the executional environment of its own client computer currently in operation involves any of the failure factors stored.
A first recording medium according to the invention records thereon a program for causing: a server computer to execute processing to prepare, on the basis of information on the particulars of any failure that may arise in any client computer and the environment of execution at the time of failure occurrence, failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and to transmit the prepared information to the client computer; and the client computer to execute processing to receive from said server computer said failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and to check whether or not its own environment of execution involves the factors accountable for the failure.
A second recording medium according to the invention records thereon a program for causing: a server computer to execute failure factor extraction processing to extract from a client failed executional environment database in which is stored, classified by the type of failure, information on the executional environment at the time of failure occurrence on each of a plurality of client computers the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and to store them into a client failure factor database; the server computer to execute client identification processing to identify from a client configuration information database, in which hardware configuration information and software configuration information on each of said plurality of client computers are stored, classified by client computer, the client computer(s) that may repeat the failure factor extracted by said failure factor extraction processing; the client computer to execute failure prediction information transmission processing to transmit, to each client computer identified by said client identification processing, failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure; each of the plurality of client computers to execute failure prediction information reception processing to receive said failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure from said server computer; each of the plurality of client computers to execute failure prediction information storage processing to store said failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure received by said failure prediction information reception processing into said failure prediction information database; each of the plurality of client computers to execute failure factor check processing to check whether or not the executional environment in which it is currently operating involves any of the failure factors stored in said failure prediction information database; and each of the plurality of client computers to execute failure prediction information notification processing to supply an output unit with failure prediction information including the factors accountable for the failure and the particulars of the failure when it has been judged by said failure factor check processing that the executional environment of its own client computer currently in operation involves any of the failure factors stored.
A third recording medium according to the invention records thereon a program for causing: each of a plurality of client computers to execute configuration information transmission processing to transmit its own hardware configuration information and software configuration information to a server computer; the server computer to execute configuration information reception processing to receive hardware configuration information and software configuration information from each of said plurality of client computers; the server computer to execute configuration information storage processing to store, classified by client computer, the hardware configuration information and software configuration information received by said configuration information reception processing into a client configuration information database.
A fourth recording medium according to the invention records thereon a program for causing each of a plurality of client computers to execute failure detection processing to detect any software failure having arisen in itself; each of said plurality of client computers to execute failed executional environment information transmission processing to transmit, when any software failure has been detected by said failure detection processing, information on the particulars of the failure and on the executional environment at the time of the failure occurrence to a server computer; the server computer to execute failed executional environment information reception processing to receive, from the client computer in which any software failure has arisen, information on the particulars of the failure and on the executional environment at the time of the failure occurrence; and the server computer to execute failed executional environment information storage processing to classify, by the type of failure, the information on the particulars of the failure and on the executional environment at the time of the failure occurrence received by said failed executional environment information reception processing into said client failed executional environment database.
A fifth recording medium according to the invention records thereon a program for causing: a server computer to execute failure factor extraction processing to extract from a client failed executional environment database in which is stored, classified by the type of failure, information on the executional environment at the time of failure occurrence on each of a plurality of client computers the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and to store them into a client failure factor database; the server computer to execute client identification processing to identify from a client configuration information database, in which hardware configuration information and software configuration information on each of said plurality of client computers are stored, classified by client computer, the client computer(s) that may repeat the failure factor extracted by said failure factor extraction processing; the server computer to execute failure prediction information transmission processing to transmit, to each client computer identified by said client identification processing, failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, prioritized according to the relative gravity and frequency of failure; each of the plurality of client computers to execute failure prediction information reception processing to receive the prioritized failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure from said server computer; each of the plurality of client computers to execute failure prediction information storage processing to store, in the order of priority, said failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure received by said failure prediction information reception processing into said failure prediction information database; each of the plurality of client computers to execute failure factor check processing to check whether or not the executional environment in which it is currently operating involves any of the failure factors stored in said failure prediction information database; and each of the plurality of client computers to execute failure prediction information notification processing to supply an output unit with failure prediction information including the factors accountable for the failure and the particulars of the failure when it has been judged by said failure factor check processing that the executional environment of its own client computer currently in operation involves any of the failure factors stored.
A sixth recording medium according to the invention records thereon a program for causing: a server computer to execute failure factor extraction processing to extract from a client failed executional environment database in which is stored, classified by the type of failure, information on the executional environment at the time of failure occurrence on each of a plurality of client computers the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, and to store them into a client failure factor database; the server computer to execute failure prediction information transmission processing to transmit, to every client computer, all the failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure, stored in said client failure factor database; each of the plurality of client computers to execute failure prediction information reception processing to receive failure prediction information including the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure from said server computer; each of the plurality of client computer to execute failure prediction information storage processing to judge whether or not each piece of said information on the particulars of the failure and factors accountable for the failure occurrence received by said failure prediction information reception processing relates to its own client computer and, if it does, to store it into said failure prediction information database or, if it does not, to discard them; each of the plurality of client computers to execute failure factor check processing to check whether or not the executional environment in which it is currently operating involves any of the failure factors stored in said failure prediction information database; and each of the plurality of client computers to execute failure prediction information notification processing to supply an output unit with failure prediction information including the factors accountable for the failure and the particulars of the failure when it has been judged by said failure factor check processing that the environment of the client computer involves any of the failure factors stored.